Second Chances: Zutara
by ktron10
Summary: Modern day AU Zutara: Katara started 11th grade and shes ready for anything...or so she thought. Until she meets the quiet boy Zuko...what will happen? Btw, I should let you all know now that Toph is NOT blind in my story. Since it's AU and all.
1. First Day

**AN: Hey guys, sorry this one is so short, I promise they will be longer later! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I unfortunatly do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or it would have ended differently.**

**Chapter 1**

Katara woke up on her first day of 11th grade. _This is it, _she thought. Her 16th birthday was 2 days ago, and she couldn't have been more ready. She heard bison-like snoring coming from the room next door and giggled softly. Her brother Sokka, a senior this year, would not wake up easy.

After attempting to wake Sokka, Katara went downstairs to greet her father and eat breakfast.

She found her father Hakoda in his usual morning position: a mug of coffee in one hand and the newspaper in the other.

"Good morning, Katara," her father said with smile. "Did you sleep well?"

She yawned before continuing. "Yeah. Although waking up at 6 again is going to take some getting used to."

Hakoda chuckled and said, "Well think about your brother and your predicament will lessen."

Katara laughed and agreed. After eating, she and her brother grabbed their bags and walked outside to the bus stop. She began to bounce up and down on her feet; a nervous habit she'd had since she was little.

"Katara, stop worrying so much." Sokka looked like he didn't have a care in the world; a trait worrisome Katara wished she'd inherited. "It's going to be fine. Promise."

"How can you say that? We haven't even gotten on the bus yet!"

"Trust me. I know these things. I was a junior once too, remember?" These words were accompanied by Sokka's "award-winning" smile. At least, according to him it was.

Sokka's over-confident attitude was annoying sometimes, but helpful in situations like this. Katara depended on it for reassurance. When the bus pulled up, Katara took a deep breath and steeled herself for the din. She and Sokka walked over to Suki, Sokka's long-time girlfriend.

"Hi, Sokka! Hi Katara!" Suki said with enthusiasm.

"Ugh, Suki," Sokka groaned. "How can you be so energetic this early?"

Suki just laughed and kissed him, lightening his attitude immediately. Katara went to find her friends Aang and Toph, also juniors this year. She found them in the back, holding hands and talking excitedly. Katara smiled and sat next to them.

"Sugar Queen! How ya been? It's been too long." Toph hugged her friend after not seeing her all summer.

Katara grinned. "I've been great. How was Europe?"

Toph's face lit up. "It was _so _cool! I've never seen so many impressive buildings! It was amazing!" Toph's face tenderized and she looked at Aang. "Although the 3 months away from Twinkle Toes here weren't too great," she said looking down rather sheepishly. Aang just smiled as they stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. It was cute at first, but then Katara felt she should bring them back to earth. She snapped her fingers in Aang's face and said, "Hello! Aang! Wakey wakey!" He looked at her as if he was resurfacing from a deep pool.

"Oh, sorry, Katara. How was your summer?"

"Boring. I missed seeing you guys everyday!"

They all laughed and sighed with contentment. Just then the bus creaked to a stop as they pulled up to school. Katara fell silent, which didn't go unnoticed. Aang carelessly threw an arm around her shoulders and said, "Katara, relax. It's not like you haven't seen this place for the last 2 years. Breathe."

Katara tugged on her jacket and steeled herself to walk through the doors. As they walked up the sidewalk, Katara was startled by suddenly brushing the quiet boy Zuko's shoulder by not paying attention. He glanced over at her stuttering apologies before mumbling, "It's fine," and shuffling away. Katara felt her eyes following his retreating figure before being called back by Toph.

"Hey, daydreamer, your turn to wakey wakey! Its just Zuko!"

Katara shook herself and forced a smile back on her face. "Yeah, you're right. Let's make this day a good one."


	2. The Project

**Ok I promise this is my last short chapter! I just haven't had that much motivation lately...R & R please! Much appreciated!**

**DISCLAIMER: I dont own Avatar: the Last Airbender. Jeez. Just rub it in my face why don't you?**

**Chapter 2**

The 3 friends went their separate ways as the first bell rang, sending them each to their first period classes. Katara glanced down at her schedule to see that her first class was art. This made her perk up a little, Katara loved to draw; she and her sketch pad were inseparable. When she walked into class she figured she would be the only one there, it was only 8:05. But there was one other person in there, the one person she didn't want to see- Zuko. He glanced up at hearing her arrival but, seeing who it was, just looked down at his drawing pad again. _That's funny, _thought Katara. _I didn't know he was into art_.

The classroom soon filled up and the teacher walked in.

"Good morning, class!" She smiled brightly. "I am Ms. Thompson, your new Art 3 teacher."

The class mumbled a nonchalant "good morning" and resumed what they had been doing. Ms. Thompson announced that, as a "welcome to Art 3 project", we were going to be assigned partners to recreate in any medium. Katara put her head down with a sigh. She hated partner work. It was just too awkward for. She began to read out the list of names while she waited for hers to be called. She heard her name and her head snapped up to see who she was with.

"And Katara and….Zuko. That's all! Now get together with your partner and decide what you each will do."

Katara groaned softly. _Zuko? Why did it have to be Zuko? _

Zuko walked over to her desk and sat down.

"Um, hi." Zuko scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess we'll be working together."

Katara looked at him. "Um, yeah I guess so."

"So what are you planning on doing?" Zuko finally raised his head to look at her. His eyes were a piercing shade of gold, even if one was hidden by his scar. They were so beautiful Katara momentarily forgot how to speak.

"Katara? Are you ok?" Zuko looked at her questioningly.

Katara's cheeks turned red as she said, "Oh, um, yeah, I'm fine. And I was going to use my sketch pad. What about you?"

He looked away again, to Katara's relief. "I was going to paint you."

_Paint? That's strange, _Katara thought. _I didn't think anyone knew _how _to paint anymore. _But she just smiled politely and said, "Oh that sounds nice. When should we get together to work on this?"

"How about this afternoon? I'm free, and my uncle won't be home until six." He continued to stare at the floor as he said this.

"Yeah, that sounds good. I guess you can just drive me there." Katara internally shuddered as she thought of what Sokka would say if he knew she was going to _Zuko's_ house, of all people. Zuko agreed and the bell rang, signaling second period.

Katara felt increasingly awkward. "Well, um, bye."

"Bye."

And just like that he was gone. She was relieved, but almost forlorn at the same time. _Snap out of it Katara, _she told herself firmly. _I mean, this is _Zuko _we're talking about here. _But her thoughts continued to confuse her.


	3. Painting

**Ok i told you this one would be longer!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own avatar: the last airbender **

**Chapter 3**

She met up with Toph and Aang again after school in the parking lot. She shuddered again as she thought of what to tell Sokka when he showed up with Suki.

"Hey, Katara, you look kind of pale, are you alright?" Aang had only concern in his eyes as he felt her forehead.

"No, no, I'm fine. But I won't be for long."

Toph and Aang exchanged quizzical looks. "What do you mean?" Toph asked uncertainly.

Katara explained about Zuko and the art project. Toph giggled and clapped her hands with glee but Aang just looked somber.

"Katara, just go now while Sokka isn't here. I'll take care of him for you."

Katara sighed with relief. "Thanks, Aang, you're the best." She started running towards Zuko's car, hearing cries of "Katara and Zuko sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" She rolled her eyes at Toph's childish rhyme. She stopped short when she realized Zuko was already waiting for her, leaning casually against his car with his headphones in. Katara realized how the way his long, dark hair fell into his eyes made her heart flutter and….._stop. _This was not Katara. She was not the daydreaming, romantic type. So why were these thoughts going through her head?

"Ready to go?" Zuko's soft voice shook her out of her daydream.

"Uh, yeah, how long do you think it will take?" _Before Sokka comes to kill you that is, _she thought bitterly.

He shrugged. "I don't know. We'll just have to see."

_Yes we will. _She got into his car as he turned on the ignition. When they arrived at his house she was a little surprised to see he lived in a normal middle-class house like the rest of the world. There was something about him that seemed mysterious, and Katara didn't even realize she was expecting him to live in some sort of creepy mansion until she realized he didn't.

When they walked in the front door, they were greeted by an old man in a red robe. Zuko looked surprised at this.

"Zuko, my nephew! You should have warned me you were bringing such a lovely lady into our home! I would've cleaned up!" This man had a very good-natured smile that never seemed to leave his face.

"Uncle Iroh." Zuko was surprised but happy. "I thought you wouldn't be back until this evening?"

"Nonsense, nephew, nothing could keep me away for that long. How about I put on a nice, fresh pot of tea for you."

"That would be lovely," Katara answered politely. "Thank you."

"It is no trouble of mine. Now please, don't let me be a nuisance, continue with what you were doing," Iroh said grinning at Zuko.

Zuko blushed as he grabbed her hand to lead her and said, "Come on, Katara, my room's upstairs."

The walls of Zuko's room were covered in beautiful paintings, which Katara suspected were his own.

"Zuko, did you paint all of these?" Katara's voice was filled with wonder.

"Um, yeah, they just sort of accumulate over the years and Uncle likes to frame them." He scratched the back of his neck again, a habit she guessed to be a nervous one. There were many different subjects he'd decided to paint, including the scene outside his window, his uncle, and a beautiful woman Katara took to be his mother by the likeness.

"You said you liked to sketch. Do you wanna, um, sketch something?" Zuko's voice brought her out of the daze his paintings had put her in.

Katara looked back at him to find he was also looking at her. Once again, she found herself captivated by the color of his eyes, and couldn't bring herself to look away, until Zuko cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Uh, yeah, I guess just sit down or something and I'll see what I can do." Katara got out her sketch pad and drawing pencil and opened it to a fresh page. He sat down and Katara went into another world as she began to draw him. She started with his head. She tried to find the perfect way to capture how his shaggy black hair fell into his eyes…..his eyes. His perfect eyes. Even with the scar, she felt his eyes were the most beautiful she had ever seen. An hour passed, and she was finally finished.

"Sorry that took so long. I wasn't expecting to get that into it," Katara said, averting her eyes from Zuko's face; which she had been so intently studying before.

"Oh, it's fine. Can I, um, see it?"

Katara startled. She didn't think she would actually be showing it to him yet. "Oh, yeah sure, go ahead. I still have to add in better details though."

"It's ok. I'm sure it's great," he said as he gently took her sketchbook from her. A second later she heard him quietly gasp so she looked at him. He was gazing at her searchingly, as if trying to see straight to her soul. She stared right back, refusing to be intimidated. A second that felt like an eternity passed, and Zuko broke the gaze.

"Katara, I….I don't know what to say. It's beautiful. More than beautiful, it's….you just captured everything perfectly." Zuko's normally flat voice was now thick with emotion. "I didn't know anyone could really _see _me that way. But you can. You actually pay attention. Thank you, Katara."

Katara was too stunned to speak. He genuinely sounded impressed and grateful. "Your welcome, Zuko," she said, this time looking without fear or hesitation into his golden eyes. They stayed that way for a while, just staring at each other until Katara noticed the time.

"Oh my God!" Katara yelled suddenly jerking upright.

Zuko looked around for the source of her panic. "What is it, Katara?"

"It's past 6:00! Sokka! My dad! Oh man…" Katara was rushing around his room now trying to quickly gather all of her things as fast as she could.

"Woah, Katara, slow down. Here let me help you." Zuko starting gathering all of her art things into her bag for her.

"Do you want me to give you a ride home?" Zuko asked, looking at her with worry in his eyes.

"Yes, that would be great, thanks Zuko." Katara dashed out the door with a hurried goodbye to Iroh, who looked as confused as Zuko felt. They got in the car and Zuko drove Katara back to her house. When Katara got out of the car she saw all the lights were still on. This planted more worry in her.

"Uh oh. They are still awake. Well bye, Zuko, it was nice knowing you!" Katara said with a sarcastic sigh.

As she started to walk up the sidewalk towards her house she was stopped by a hand on hers.

"Katara….when can we do this again?" Zuko wanted to know, looking her straight in the eyes.

Katara was so shocked by his closeness and intensity that she almost forgot her reply. "Oh, um, yeah, how about Wednesday? I'm free then and maybe I won't be grounded?" She laughed nervously.

Zuko dropped his gaze and his hand, as if he just now realized he had put it there. "Yeah, sounds good." He was back to his normal awkwardly distant self. "Bye, Katara."

"Bye, Zuko."

And for the second time that day, he was gone. Katara steeled herself to go inside and walked into the kitchen to find her father and brother sitting at the table.

"Katara," her father began, only to have Katara cut him off.

"Dad, I'm sorry I'm home so late, My art partner and I were working on our project at his house and time just got away from us. I'm really sorry."

Hakoda looked at his daughter. "I believe you, Katara. I figured your brother was exaggerating. You know how he is," he said laughing.

Katara laughed as well, mostly out of relief. "Yeah, I think I know how he is."

Hakoda looked at her with tenderness. "Get some rest. You'll need it. And congratulations on getting through your first day alive, Katara," he said, smiling knowingly at her.

Katara smiled at her father and went upstairs to work on her neglected first-day homework. She _had _gotten through the first day alive. And made a new friend as well. That night Katara fell asleep smiling, with dreams of a handsome artist extending his hand to her.


	4. Control

**AN: here is my longer chapter chapter 4! please read and review! reviews give me motivation!**

**DISCLAIMER: Honestly dont you know by now that i dont own avatar: the last airbendeR?**

**Chapter 4**

The next day at school, the first person Katara saw was Toph, who ran squealing towards her, yelling, "How was your date with Zuko?" for the whole world to hear. Katara just shushed her and dragged her off where no one would hear them.

"Katara! Sokka told me what time you finally came back! Oh my God! What happened?" Toph was practically dancing she was so excited.

"Toph, calm down, all I did was sketch him," Katara said calmly, trying to settle her friend down.

Toph cocked one eyebrow and said, "Oh, yeah, right. Like I believe that, Sugar Queen."

Katara sighed and said, "Look believe it or not, that's what happened. Now come on, we're gonna be late if we don't get a move on."

They parted as they each went to their first periods. As Katara walked into Art, the classroom was filled more this time. Katara immediately looked for Zuko, then chastised herself for doing so. But she found him, and their eyes met. Suddenly it was just the two of them again, back in Zuko's room. Katara's mind was whirling when she was suddenly pushed to the ground, dropping all her things. She turned around to see Jet, the school jock standing behind her, apparently having run into her when she was in her daze.

Jet sneered and said, "Wow, Katara, you should really watch where you're going. Someone could get hurt." As he walked past her, he purposefully stepped on her hand.

"OWW!" Katara screamed, looking in horror at her crunched hand. "I think it's broken!"

"Next time, look before you trip me then," Jet said menacingly.

The first person up was Zuko, immediately rushing to Katara's aid.

"Katara, are you all right?" he asked intently, focusing on her hand.

"No, I think it's broken," Katara whimpered, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Zuko turned to Jet with hatred in his beautiful eyes. "Jet. Don't you ever let me see you come within two feet of Katara ever again, or I will destroy you." His voice rang with sincerity and finality; not even Jet could doubt his words, he just sat down stuttering feeble attempts at threats.

"Come on," Zuko said to Katara, while helping her to her feet. "Let's get you to the nurse." He tentatively put his hand around her waist, guiding her out the door.

Katara looked up at Zuko, bewildered. "Why are you helping me?" she asked, confused. "We just met?"

Zuko looked at Katara, and in his eyes she could see raging conflict. "I don't know, Katara. But I promise you, he will not come near you again. Ever." Even Katara shuddered at the hatred in Zuko's usually soft voice.

They had reached the nurse's office.

"I guess I'll leave you here," Zuko said, giving her one last glance over before turning. This time it was Katara's turn to place a hand on his and say, "Thanks, Zuko. For everything. Really." And he just smiled and walked back to class.

~.~

When Katara met Sokka in the parking lot that afternoon with a bandaged hand, he immediately went on the defensive.

"Was it Zuko? Did he hurt you?" was all Sokka could get out. It took a couple minutes before Katara calmed him down enough to get the truth out. When she told him what happened, Sokka was furious.

"Jet! I swear, when I get my hands on him I'm gonna-" but he was interrupted by Suki who was also trying to calm him.

"Sokka, she's ok, the nurse said her hand would heal soon, it's just a fracture." Suki's voice seemed to do a lot for Sokka. He stopped struggling and sighed.

"I guess you're right. Come on, Katara, let's go home. Suki is coming over for dinner tonight."

After mostly the same questions from her father, Katara was finally able to go upstairs to get some rest. But sleep evaded her that night, for all she could think about was Zuko, and how he'd stood up for her today. _Why would he do that? _she thought. _He knew Jet would probably beat him up for it! The idiot!_ But there was still the part of her, the silly, daydreamer part, that was giddy with excitement over the day's events. Zuko had risked his face for _her_! And suddenly she couldn't wait for school tomorrow. Because tomorrow was Wednesday. The day she was going to Zuko's. And for the second night in a row, she fell asleep smiling.

~.~

On the bus that morning, Katara was sitting in her usual place with Aang and Toph, behind Sokka and Suki, when Zuko passed her. She couldn't help but look up, and when their eyes met, she couldn't help but be pulled into her fantasies from the night before. Until she reminded herself of who she was and just smiled at him and continued her conversation with Toph and Aang. That is, until he sat in the seat directly behind her, and she couldn't take it anymore. She leaned over to Toph and said, "Hey, do you mind if I sit with Zuko?"

Toph just smiled and nodded, grinning at Aang.

Katara walked purposefully to Zuko's seat and sat down. "Hi, Zuko," she said cautiously.

He glanced up at her and smiled, and she couldn't help but notice the way his face lit up when he smiled. "Hey, Katara. Are we still on for this afternoon?"

_He remembered! _But no. _He remembered because it's for school. _"Yeah can you drive me again?"

"Sure thing. How's you hand feel?" He gingerly picked up her hand and turned it over, looking for any other imperfections.

Katara tried to ignore her racing heart as she said, "Oh, uh, yeah, the nurse said it was just a fracture. It should be healed by Friday."

Zuko's smile widened. "At least it's not your drawing hand, right?"

Katara startled. How had he known which hand she drew with? "How did you know that?"

He cocked his eyebrow and said, "What, you think you're the only one who can notice things about people? I'm pretty observant myself, you know, being an artist." He finished with a sarcastic air about him she'd never seen before. Come to think of it, she hadn't really seen that many emotions on Zuko until the past 2 days.

The bus arrived with a squeal at the front steps.

"Well, I'll see you in Art," were Zuko's parting words.

"Bye, Zuko," Katara stammered, her heart still racing from his touch.

Next thing she knew, it was the end of the day and she was walking on autopilot towards Sokka's car when she realized she was going with Zuko today. Her heart pounding, she walked up to the car where he was waiting patiently.

Zuko seemed almost startled at her appearance, but quickly regained composure. "Hey, Katara." When he smiled, Katara felt her face automatically go up into a smile too.

"Hi, Zuko. You ready?"

He walked around to the passenger side to open her door for her. "Yeah, come on, ladies first," he said, grinning.

Katara felt her heart beat out of control again. This wasn't right. Why was she doing this? She sat down as he pulled out of the parking lot. Suddenly she was really nervous about going to Zuko's. What if she couldn't control herself like she usually could?

**tee hee cliff hanger! sorry i couldnt resist! :)**


	5. Surprise!

**Thank you all so much for your reviews! You make me want to post! Much appreciated!**

**DISCLAIMER: youre gonna make me say it again? fine...i dont own avatar: the last airbender. happy?**

**Chapter 5**

When they arrived, the house was empty. Zuko noticed Katara looking around for Uncle so he told her, "He won't be back until tomorrow. Business trip."

_Oh great, _Katara thought. _Now we're completely alone. Awesome._

They made their way up the stairs to Zuko's room. Zuko gasped like he was remembering something important and ran up the stairs before her. When she got there, all she saw was him putting a tarp over an easel. That just made her more curious, but she decided it was better not to say anything.

Zuko sat down and patted the spot next to him, indicating for her to sit too. Katara's stupid heart gave another flutter as their arms brushed when she sat down. He looked at her for a moment before saying, "Now it's my turn. Go sit over there." He pointed to a chair by the window. Katara sat down and prepared herself to wait.

Because Zuko was painting, and not just sketching, his took much longer. Three hours later and Katara was finally allowed to move again. But when she moved over to see it, she received a firm but gentle hand on hers stopping her from turning the easel around. When she raised her eyebrow at him he simply said, "It's not done. But I'm done drawing." Katara just laughed softly, too preoccupied with his hand on hers to really hear what he just said. He shook his hair out of his eyes and scratched the back of his neck, braking the contact. Before Katara knew what she was doing, she instinctively grabbed his hand and pulled it down, saying, "Stop doing that. You're going to hurt yourself."

She was even more surprised when he suddenly grabbed her and covered her mouth with his. She felt herself melting into his kiss, and felt both of their surprise when they realized she was kissing him back.

What felt like an eternity passed, and they broke apart. Zuko seemed to realize what he just did and took a couple steps back.

"Katara, I-"

She cut him off by putting a finger to his lips. "Don't apologize. Please." She had a desperate air about her, like she needed him and wasn't going to wait anymore.

He smiled and they kissed until 6:00 came around.

Katara sighed as she looked at the clock. She slowly unwound herself from Zuko's arms and started to gather her things. When she had repacked everything, she turned to face him. "Can you drive me home?"

He gently stroked her face with his hand. "Of course, Kat."

She beamed at him, truly happy for the first time since school started.

~.~

When Katara waltzed through her front door that evening, humming a cheerful tune, Sokka was immediately suspicious. He narrowed his eyes and glowered at her for a minute before saying, "Did you have fun?" sarcastically.

But Katara's happiness bubble was impervious even to Sokka's criticism. "Yes, I did. We got a lot done." she said, now twirling a strand of her thick brown hair around her finger.

Sokka's eyes narrowed to slits. "Oh yeah? What kinds of things did you, ahem, get done?"

Katara just rolled her eyes and smirked. "Oh, Sokka, stop worrying so much!" she said and danced up to her room to do her homework.

When she woke up the next morning, all she could think was, _I can't let Toph find out. _Because she knew that Toph wouldn't be able to keep it to herself, and eventually it would get around to Sokka. So she decided that she would talk to Aang instead. She grabbed Aang's hand after exiting the bus and whispered, "Aang. We need to talk. Away from Toph."

He looked at her confused but agreed and let her guide him. When they got to a quiet corner of campus, Katara whispered, "Remember how I went to Zuko's yesterday to work on that project?" Aang nodded. "Well, we…..kissed," she uttered, barely audible. She peeked over at Aang to see that his mouth was gaping and he was looking at her like she was crazy.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips in her usual "I'm not the bad guy here" stance.

He just stared at her and said, "Now you _and _Zuko have a death wish on your heads."

Katara gasped in shock; that was definitely not was she was expecting her friend to say. "Um, Aang, what do you mean?"

Aang just shook his head. "It's Jet."

Katara's ocean blue eyes widened in shock. "You mean that idiot boy who thinks he's better than everyone else?"

"Yeah. He got an…._infatuation _with you Katara, and you know that won't end well for you or Zuko." Aang's usually laughing storm grey eyes were somber and serious; an obvious sign that he was telling the truth.

Katara felt an involuntary chill make its way down her spine. _Jet? And _me? She shook her head to clear the thought from her mind.

Aang just looked at her, clearly worried. "Just be careful, ok, Katara?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I will."

When she walked into Art that morning and saw Zuko waiting at her desk her heart did flip-flops. Why did he have to be so beautiful?

"Hey, Kat." His golden eyes lit up upon seeing her walk in. "How was your night?"

"Uneventful, thankfully," Katara laughed as she sat down next to him. How he managed to make even the dreary eggshell walls of her classroom look appealing she would never know.

He raised one eyebrow knowingly. "So no angry outbursts from Sokka?" he said grinning from ear to ear.

She giggled and told him, "Well there was one. But I calmed him down."

They had both been working on finishing their projects the night before, because they were due today. Katara hesitantly pulled out her sketchbook to present to the class, and she saw Zuko do the same with his canvas.

"Now I will call out partner groups one by one, and you will each come up here and show me your interpretation of your partner. First up, Sang and Lonsho." Mrs. Thompson sat behind her desk and prepared to see everyone's art.

Three more groups went, and it was finally Zuko and Katara's turn. While they were making their way to the front of the room, Katara peeked over at Zuko from the corner of her eye and flushed when she noticed Zuko was doing the same.

"Katara, you start." Ms. Thompson placed her head on her hands, eagerly awaiting the projects of her star pupils.

Katara felt butterflies in her stomach as she opened her sketchbook. "Um, I chose to do a sketch of Zuko," she said, wishing she were somewhere else. She finally got to the right page and held it up for everyone to see. There was a collective gasp from her classmates as they saw the work of art Katara had created. She had made a simple sketch look like a masterpiece worthy of a museum. Even the ones who didn't understand art as much as they'd like were able to see the depth in her sketch. They could see the raging, conflicting emotions she had included in Zuko's eyes, and the painstaking detail in which she drew everything. Even Zuko felt an unfamiliar knot of emotion in his gut upon seeing it.

Katara's quiet voice brought them all out of their daze. "Um, yeah…so….Zuko?" she said, quickly trying to divert the unwanted attention from her to Zuko.

Zuko looked at her, resurfacing. "Oh, uh, yeah, I painted Katara. And I added in some stuff that I thought reminded me of her." He lifted the protective cover off of his canvas and Ms. Thompson's eyes visibly widened. The passion emanating from Zuko's painting was unmistakable. He had painted Katara with wings in the sky, surrounded by things he thought related to her. For example, there was a red cross, because she wanted to be a doctor; water droplets, because of her love of water; and even a miniature portrait of her family, because they were all so close knit. Katara could only imagine how much time he had spent on this, and it really touched her heart. She turned around quickly, trying to mask the sudden tears in her eyes.

"Zuko, that's amazing! A plus for both you and Katara. You may sit down," Ms. Thompson said. "Oh, and Zuko, can I see you after class?"

Zuko sighed and turned around to face her. "Of course, Ms. Thompson."

Katara looked at him, confused as ever, but he just shrugged.

At lunch that day, Katara ran to meet up with Zuko. "Hey what happened today?" she inquired, grasping his hand in her own.

She saw him glance down at their hands and smile. "Oh, it was nothing. Ms. Thompson just wanted to know if she could keep my painting."

Katara gasped. "She loved it that much?"

"Yeah. She even offered to pay me for it." Zuko's free hand automatically went up to scratch the back of his neck. "But I turned her down."

"What? Why did you do that?" Katara was shocked that the Zuko she thought she knew would turn down a paid offer on his painting.

He stopped walking and turned to cup her face in his hands. "Because," he said, exasperated. "It's of _you_. I wanted to keep it. Where I could see it."

She felt her cheeks flame, but at the moment didn't really care. "Zuko…I…that means a lot to me. Thank you."

He dropped his hands and looked away. "Your welcome."

Katara was puzzled. Why did he keep pulling away from her? "Zuko, are you ok?" She grabbed his face and forced him to meet her eyes. The conflicting emotions were back.

"No, Katara, I don't-"

"Well, well, if it isn't Katara and Scar-face. Having an argument? I didn't' think it would last." The voice sent shivers down Katara's spine. She turned to see who it was.

"Jet."

**bigger cliff hanger! maybe if i get enough reviews ill post the next chapter! tee hee...**


	6. Escape

**Congrats! You earned it! Here's the next chapter! Thanks for your reviews i love getting them! they make me want to update...**

**DISCLAIMER: I dont own maika maile, i dont own google, so i dont think i own avatar: the last airbender, do you?**

**Chapter 6**

Jet looked at Katara with something she couldn't really identify in his eyes. Lust, maybe?

"Hello, Katara." Jet sneered down at her.

"Jet." Zuko's hard voice in her ear surprised her. "Stay _away _from Katara." His golden eyes looked almost black as he glared at Jet with open hatred.

Jet chuckled. "Come on, Katara." He beckoned with his hand for her to follow. "You don't need this pain in the ass." He turned and started to walk away. A long second passed and he pivoted sharply. "Katara," he said clearly stumped as to why she wasn't following him. "I said, _let's go_."

Katara decided it was too dangerous to piss him off and squeezed Zuko's hand tightly once before letting go and following after Jet.

"Katara!" Zuko's outraged cry hit her ears like a thousand knives. "What are you doing?" She wanted to cry when she heard the obvious hurt and betrayal in his voice, but she forced herself not turn around. If she met his eyes, she knew her resolve would be lost.

She took a deep breath. "Zuko, let me go. I want to go with Jet." This lie was the hardest she had ever had to tell, but she didn't want to drag Zuko into this. The pain on Zuko's face looked like he'd have been better off if she had slapped him.

"But Katara-"

She cut him off. She couldn't hear him talk anymore. It was crumbling her will. "No, Zuko. Please just go." The tears were starting to form in her eyes, so she started walking, intent on getting away from Zuko before the sobbing started. "Goodbye."

She walked with Jet and his gang, Pipsqueak and The Duke, until they ended up in a small tent in the woods, away from civilization.

"You'll stay here." Jet's voice woke her out of a daydream she was having of Zuko coming to save her. _Like that'll happen. I broke his heart, remember? _

"Ok," Katara said, barely audible. When she walked inside the tent, her heart skipped a beat. The only thing in there was a bed. A small one, but big enough for two people to lay on if they squeezed. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Pipsqueak, who was actually very large contrary to his name, walked in at that moment. "Here's your food ration for today." He threw her 2 pieces of bread and a bottled water.

"Thanks," she said rolling her eyes after he had left. She took a bite of the bread. _Stale. How surprising. _She curled up in a ball in the corner of the tent, not wanting to even think about the bed, and fell asleep from the exhaustion of the day.

~.~

When she awoke the next morning, she sat up after remembering where she was and who took her there. She saw Jet's sleeping form on the bed. Then she decided to try to quietly sneak out before he woke up. But right as she reached the opening flap, she heard a voice behind her say, "Going somewhere?"

Katara gasped and whirled around, clutching her heart in shock. "Jet! I wasn't- I mean I wasn't planning on-"

"Save it, Katara." Jet had a gleam in his eye that made Katara want to run away in fright. But her proud side won out, as usual, and she stood her ground. "You can't keep me here forever, you know," she said defiantly. "My father will notice I'm missing, or my brother, or-"

"Or Scar-face?" Jet scoffed. "Trust me, I don't think he's coming anytime soon." He had a very cat-like grin on his face, like he had the upper-hand and he knew it.

"What did you do to Zuko?" Katara's angry cry filled the tent.

"Relax, Katara," Jet said smirking even wider. "You did it, not me, remember?"

Her eyes began to dart around the tent, refusing to meet his. "What are you talking about?"

"Your little stunt back on campus. You broke his heart. I could see it. So I can't really see him coming after you anytime soon."

He was right, and Katara knew he was right and it hurt. A lot. She had cut Zuko deep with her words, and she couldn't fix it now, being far away from him. She felt the tears spill over, and she was helpless to stop them.

~.~

Three weeks had passed, and Katara was still confined to Jet's smelly tent. She had heard sirens pass occasionally so she knew the cops were looking for her. Jet hadn't gone too far with her yet, but she had a feeling he was getting tired of her defiance and disrespect. She had tried 13 times to escape (she counted) and had been caught every time. Her hope and her grip on reality were slowly slipping away from her grasp. She had some time to herself for a few minutes, while Jet was doing some shoplifting for food. He had left Pipsqueak outside the tent though as a guard. She was about to get some rest when she heard Pipsqueak yell outside.

"Hey you're not supposed to-" There was a clunk and he stopped talking. Katara guessed he had been knocked out. She huddled in a darker corner of the tent, too scared to show herself. The tent flap opened.

"Katara?"

"Zuko!" Katara flung herself at him and sobbed in his arms until he gently shook her shoulders, reminding her that they were on a tight schedule.

"Come on," he said, tenderly taking her hand. "Time to get you out of here." His eyes were smiling at her, but she could see the rage he was hiding for Jet.

They walked outside, and Katara saw Pipsqueak's unconscious form on the ground.

"How long before Jet gets back?" Zuko asked her, more of the hate beginning to show as he saw her weakened condition.

"I don't know but he sould be back any minute now," Katara guessed. She was basing her guess off of the trips he had made before.

Zuko carefully ran his fingers down the side of her face before saying, "Katara get out of here. Aang and Toph are waiting on the other side of that tree. I need to settle something with Jet." His voice and his eyes turned rock hard as he said Jet's name.

After three weeks of defiance, Katara wasn't going to give in that easily. "No. I'm staying with you, or you're coming with me. Take your pick." She crossed her arms in front of her chest for emphasis.

Zuko sighed. "I thought this would happen," he mumbled. "Ok, fine. But you have to hide behind that tree. I _really _don't want you to get hurt again." The pleading tone in Zuko's voice was hard to ignore, and Katara did what she was told. She'd had practice with doing that too.

Five minutes passed, and Jet and The Duke reappeared. The look of shock on Jet's face quickly turned into a sneer. "You're too late. I have her. And I'm not giving her up." He laughed and high-fived The Duke.

There came a growl-like sound from Zuko's gut. He had had enough of Jet's games. "No, Jet, _you're _wrong here, because I let her go."

Jet looked around, as if he expected someone to jump out and say, "Got'cha!". "Wow, Scar-face, you are really naïve. She _dumped _you, did you forget? She dumped you for me. Why would you come back to get her?"

Zuko advanced. "Because I _love _her, you idiot. Real love, not this offensive thing you call a relationship that you have. And because I love her, I would do anything to save her."

Behind her tree, Katara thought she was either going to cry or throw up. Zuko loved her, and he might even die for her. She had to do something before it was too late.

"Aw, how cute, Scar-face has fallen in love with Katara. When's the wedding?" Jet sneered.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Zuko had had enough. He roared and charged towards Jet. But Jet was quicker, and had Zuko frozen in his first step when he pulled out a gun.

"Don't move." Jet's playful sneer was gone and replaced by a glare. "Because you know as well as I do that I will not hesitate to pull this trigger."

He didn't get to pull the trigger though, because at that moment, Katara had jumped out from behind the tree and whacked him upside the head with the biggest stick she could find. Jet stumbled back and turned to face Katara instead.

"Wrong move, sweetie." He moved towards Katara who was slowly backing into a tree, thinking that that blow should have knocked him out.

Suddenly they were all interrupted by a loud battle cry coming from the trees. Then a green and black blur darted out of the trees and punched Jet into tomorrow. With this punch plus the blow Katara had given him earlier, Jet was officially down.

"What took you guys so long?" Toph whined as she enveloped her lost friend in a bear hug. Aang came shortly after, clearly he couldn't keep up and was panting and out of breath.

"Toph!" Katara yelled surprised at the sudden appearance of her friend.

"Zuko said he would only be about 10 minutes. Well it's been 20 and I got worried. So I convinced Twinkle Toes to come hunt you down. When I saw Jet with a gun pointed at you, I kind of reacted instinctively. I'm sure he'll revive eventually."

While Toph was explaining all of this, Katara was looking round at all of her friends, filled with such love it was hard to describe. She felt tears pricking her eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by Zuko.

"Katara, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" He began to feel all around her for injuries, tilting her head left and right.

"No, no, I'm just, thankful." Katara started to sob. "None of you had to do this for me. Especially you, Zuko. What I said to you, I'm so sorry, I just didn't want to drag you into all of this. I never meant to-"

She was interrupted by Zuko's urgent kiss. He snaked his arms around her waist,and she wrapped hers around his neck. It calmed Katara to feel a kiss that was mutual on both sides. After they broke apart she just stood there sobbing like an idiot with her head on his shoulder while he rubbed soothing circles into her back.

"Katara, it's all right," Zuko said, whispering softly into her ear. "I figured that after about a day or two of sulking and that's when I decided to go after you. You had never been gone this long before, and I knew something was up. I found the hideout yesterday, and I started making plans with Aang and Toph about rescuing you. What happened to you?" he finished horror seeping into his eyes as he noticed how bruised she was.

She didn't want to anger him more right now so she just said, "It's nothing. I'll explain later."

He nodded, realizing this conversation would be better suited once she was back in her own home. "Come on, my car is a little ways away. Toph already called the police, let's go."

Hand in hand, they walked back to Zuko's car.

**well that was intense! R & R por favor!**


	7. Zuko

**here is chapter 7! thank you all for your reviews! i decided to shorten this story to 8 chapters. one more!**

**DISCLAIMER: sigh...i dont own avatr the last airbender**

**Chapter 7**

"So you had no previous evidence that Jet Waru was going to take you into his custody?"

Katara sighed. These police interrogations were getting old. "Yes. I've _told _you before, I did not know that he was going to drag me into a forest and keep me in a tent against my will." Another sigh.

He wrote something down in his notebook before telling her, "Thank you. You can go now."

She thanked him and started the walk back to her house. Her walk was stopped short though, when a familiar black car pulled up next to her. Then an even more familiar hand beckoned to her through the open window. She climbed in on the passenger side, glad to be rid of the three block walk.

"I'm surprised your dad is letting you go anywhere alone these days," Zuko said with a chuckle.

Katara rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "Well, technically, I was supposed to get a ride home with a cop but I figured that would just be too weird. I'm sick of being the target of the new Spanish Inquisition."

Zuko laughed, which made Katara laugh. Zuko relished in hearing her laugh, she hadn't laughed since before the rescue mission. Appearance wise, Katara had improved greatly. Her skin was back to it's normal, tanned color, and most of her minor bruises were fading. Although when she thought he wasn't looking, Zuko could still see the pain Jet caused on her face. He wished she would just open up to him about those three weeks.

Zuko made a spontaneous decision and turned to drive towards his house instead.

Katara's eyes flashed over to his when she realized where they were going. She flashbacked to being in Jet's car, going away where no one could hear them. "Where are you taking me?" Katara was instantly on the defensive, her hands balled into fists.

She thought she saw sadness flicker across Zuko's face, but it was quickly replaced by sympathy. "We're just going to my house. Don't worry, my uncle is home."

She nodded, comforted by the fact that Iroh would be there again. He had a way of making her feel calm and safe. "Ok. I trust you."

Those three words lifted Zuko's heart out of his chest and into the sky. She trusted him, and he knew that was rare since Jet destroyed the ability to trust in her system. He smiled and drove a little faster to his house.

When they arrived, the first thing Katara saw was a red robe pressed against her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Katara. What happened to you was not fair, and I am truly sorry for that," Iroh said. He really felt for the girl who looked so frail and weak as she walked through his door. He still remembered who she was before; the proud, headstrong girl, who wasn't afraid to say anything to anyone.

Katara was surprised at first by the hug, but then felt herself hugging him back. She couldn't put her finger on it, but he just made her feel better. After they broke apart, Zuko gently took Katara's hand and led her upstairs. She followed him, no longer wary of being alone with him.

At the last step, he suddenly put his hands over her eyes, blocking her view.

"Zuko, what are you doing?" Katara asked, feeling her body tense.

Zuko also felt it tense and said, "Relax, Katara. I have something in there I want to surprise you with." He rubbed her shoulders. "Just take it easy," he breathed into her ear. He placed his free hand on her lower back, making her heart rate speed up, and guided her to a spot in his room. Suddenly he drew back his hand. Katara heard him chuckle when he saw she was still closing her eyes.

"Katara, you can open your eyes now," he said, taking hold of her hand again.

She opened her eyes slowly, to see a wall-sized mural painting dedicated to Katara. She gasped and felt tears well up in her eyes. She turned around as they spilled over, so he wouldn't see her cry.

Zuko's strong arms wrapped around her waist. "Katara, it's ok to cry. You've been through a lot." His eyes had nothing but compassion and understanding in them when she turned to face him. He just held her for what felt like forever as she sobbed on his shoulder for the second time that week.

"I'm sorry Zuko," Katara sniffed after the sobbing had calmed down a little. "It's just that-"

He cut her off with a soft finger on her lips. "You don't have to explain anything to me. In fact, I would almost feel better if you cried," he said, one hand unconsciously going up to scratch the back of his neck. "Then I would know that you're at least feeling _something_."

Katara knew something was up when he said this. "Zuko, this may be the wrong moment, but…how did you get that scar?" she asked referring to the red, flame-shaped scar around his left eye.

He tried to pull away, but she wasn't going to let him anymore. "Zuko, stop running away from this. Please, just tell me." She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her.

Zuko sighed, a sound that carried years of pain with it. "Ok, fine. It was three years ago…"

_Zuko's father looked down at him with disdain after hearing those treasonous words out of his son's mouth. _

"_What do you mean you won't shoot? Zuko, it is just a deer! We have a reputation to uphold here!" Ozai glared down at his son with obvious dislike._

_Zuko had had enough and, as scared as he was, held his ground; something he'd never done before. "Uncle told me all life is sacred. Including these animals that you and Azula so carelessly kill for fun. Well I won't do it." _

_Ozai sneered down at his son. "Your uncle? That fool of a man is only weak. He can not teach you anything of importance." His sneer turned to a look of loathing, the look Zuko was more accustomed to seeing. "You will not disrespect me in this way."_

_Zuko wasn't turning back now, and tried to hide the slight shaking of his knees. "No, father. Say what you want to but I won't do this anymore. It hurts me too much. I feel like a _killer_. Why don't you?" he implored his father, still seeking judgment from the most prominent figure in his life. _

_Ozai just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "This has only happened since your mother's death. Ever since she was mugged and shot, you have been different, changed."_

_Zuko cut in. "For the better! Why can't you see that?"_

_Zuko's interruption had done it. "You will no longer disrespect me in this way!" he yelled coming at Zuko with his rifle. A shot resounded through the air and Zuko screamed. His younger sister Azula came running up the stairs at the sound when she saw her father standing over the fallen form of her brother. _

"_Father, what-"_

"_Go back downstairs, Azula," Ozai said dismissing her with a curt wave. After she had left, he leaned down towards his son, whispering, "Maybe this will teach you some respect." And with that he walked out, closing the door behind him._

"The first person I called after that was Uncle. He came to get me and brought me to the hospital. My father had shot my in the eye, resulting in this," he said, pointing to his eye. "I've been living with my uncle ever since. I don't think my father misses me," he finished bitterly, the long held tears finally spilling over.

**:( poor zuzu! R&R!**


	8. The End

**Chapter 8**

Katara had stood there in horror as Zuko relayed his torn past to her. When the tears started, she couldn't hold back anymore. She quickly closed the distance between the two of them and wrapped him in her arms; now it was _her _turn to do the comforting. In response, he buried his face into her neck.

"Oh, Zuko, I'm _so _sorry I asked! I feel horrible!" she said, starting to feel tears in her own eyes. But she wouldn't let them fall, for she had to be strong for Zuko after he had been strong for her.

He just gave her a sad smile and said, "It's ok, Katara. You had a right to know. I shouldn't have been keeping secrets from you."

She hesitantly reached up and touched his scar. The skin was soft, but rough at the same time. She let her thumb feel underneath his eye, all the way to his ear. He closed his eyes and allowed her to do it.

She stopped and dropped her hand when she heard him sigh. "No, it's ok," he said taking back her hand. "It's just that, no one's ever touched my scar before. Everyone's always been repulsed by it. It feels strange, like it's something really intimate. But I'm glad you did." The last of Zuko's tears dried on his face, and she smiled.

"I'm glad I did too." Katara beamed up at him. "Because, personally, I think the scar makes you look sexy." She laughed at his sharp intake of breath, but was soon interrupted by his lips on hers. She smiled into the kiss and deepened it. He pushed her down onto his bed and laid on top of her, running his fingers through her hair. After a while of this, he rolled over to his back and she snuggled into him.

She laughed quietly. "So what was all that for?" she said, gently stroking his face.

He smiled, and said, "You called my scar sexy. That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. It turned me on," he shrugged.

Katara quiet laugh suddenly turned into full blown hysteria. She found her eyes tearing up because she was laughing so hard. She knew it was kind of ridiculous to be laughing this hard at a time like this, but she couldn't stop. It just felt so good to laugh freely, after three weeks of fear, that she never wanted to stop. Eventually her giggling subsided, and she looked over at Zuko to see him peering at her with a bewildered look on his face.

"I didn't think I was that funny…" he said, scratching the back of his neck.

Katara pulled his hand back down automatically and told him, "Well, it was a little funny, but once I started laughing I just couldn't stop. It felt too good."

He smiled and moved his other hand up to her face. "I'm glad you're happy," he told her. "Even if it's only because you turned me on," he added, smirking at her.

She whacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, at least I _did _turn you on!"

Zuko laughed and agreed.

Eventually, they went back downstairs, knowing Katara had to see her family. She ran to hug Iroh goodbye. "Goodbye, Iroh. Thank you for everything."

He smiled that warm smile of his that no one could resist. "It has been my pleasure, Katara. You are welcome here any time, any day."

Zuko drove her home. After kissing him goodbye for more than a few seconds, she walked up towards her front door. All traces of fear and distrust had left her with Zuko's kisses and Iroh's hugs. Jet was gone, and she finally felt safe. She opened the door, preparing herself for even more love than she'd already received. Katara felt like the luckiest girl in the world.


End file.
